In Summer Reading, Sam is going to her family's summer house on Martha's Vineyard to watch her teenage half-brother while his parents are on a European vacation for a month. The timing couldn't be more perfect because she just quit her job as a chef after being passed over for a promotion, and money's tight. She knows her boss picked someone else because he was a man, and she suspects that her dyslexia was another factor that was held against her. Even though she knows the situation was unfair, she still finds herself embarrassed to be unemployed and not on to the next sparkling stage of her career as she had hoped.

On the ferry over, our romance kicks off when Sam hurries to dodge a frat boy's vomit and knocks a stranger's book into the water. It turns out that Ben is the new interim library director on the island, and Sam tries to paper over her own distaste for reading to not scare off the hot book lover.

You should know that the narration style here is just not my vibe. There's a certain type of folksy first-person narration where the protagonist is having a one-sided conversation with the reader that drives me up a wall. This book fits the bill. Don't say "OMG!" to me or comment on your own behavior, "self-involved much?" and then answer your own question, protagonist. Don't exclaim, "misogynistic jerk!" to summarize a situation. I do not have the patience for this kind of cutesy nonsense, but I'm also aware this is a matter of personal preference rather than objective quality. I am also aware that I like that kind of talk in say... a review *cough cough* but find it irritating in a book. It is what it is.

That's not to say I lack in genuine criticism, though. The first thing worth knowing is that the author is passionate about telling the story of a dyslexic character, but it's not her experience. That's a key detail because unfortunately, I find that Sam is a bit of a one-note protagonist where a lot can be summed up by "SHE HAS DYSLEXIA," and the author reminds us of it at every opportunity. For example, it is supposedly the root of every breakup she's ever had, with multiple men dumping her over it. And like, it takes literally nothing to convince me that men are trash, but there are so many different flavors to tap into. Don't limit yourself! You can see how McKinlay is using scenes to convey specific facts she's learned about the disability, so it doesn't feel organic. I would be curious what an ownvoices reviewer thinks, but my gut instinct is that you never want a marginalized identity to be the only or even main thing we know about a character. It flattens those experiences, and it robs us of a substantive example.

My next issue also came up pretty early. Sam's half-brother, Tyler, is pushed down by another kid at robotics camp, and she assumes the bully to be a boy. When *shock and awe* (not for a middle school teacher, I assure you), it turns out the perpetrator is a girl, Sam ponders the hard situation Tyler finds himself in. He can't retaliate by hitting a girl! But he would also lose street cred by being hit by a girl! Lose-lose! The inherent and unnoticed sexism contingent in this line of thinking is yuck. There's no thought of "hey, let's just not fight people period" which is my personal favorite message to the youths, followed closely by, "how can we prevent this problem and get help when you need it?" But nooooooooo let's just worry about if Tyler looked bad because of social expectations and toxic masculinity. Cool, cool, cool, cool, cool, cool.

We're treated to some subtle slut-shaming later in the form of a paternity conversation. The fact that a person might have multiple sexual partners and not know their child's father is considered "casting aspersions" on the woman in question's character. So I guess someone's character is coming into it. Haven't they seen Mamma Mia?

Then there's the casual fat-shaming. Sam remarks that if she were to eat a whole slice of cheesecake by herself, it would do her "already bottom-heavy ass no favors," which is not only fatphobic but also not backed by science. I recommend you eat the cake and get over yourself, girl. We're later reminded that she's not a "light girl" in the context of being impressed that her man can carry her up the stairs. And here's the thing. I would love knowing our protagonist is a fat lady if a) it didn't always come up as a self-deprecating comment and b) if it was clearly stated instead of coming out in insecurity that could mean anything. For all we know, these euphemisms (not in a fun way) are those of a skinny lady with insecurities. No matter her size, though, I don't want to be carrying her fatphobia around with me, especially when it's dropped with no intention of being addressed head on and maybe even mitigated.

And the sad thing is, the romance has some good things to offer once it gets rolling. Ben reads books aloud to Sam, and she gains a new appreciation for them when it's presented in this way that suits her better. She helps him look for information about the dad he never knew. He helps her write down all the recipes she learned from her grandmother because she has a dream to make a cookbook. They share a lot of kisses only to be interrupted by her little brother. And speaking of him, it's fun to see Sam and Tyler actually build a relationship after years at a distance. There's even this great moment where she talks to him about consent because he's entered into his first relationship on her watch. And while the final act breakup between Sam and Ben is annoying, it's not as angsty as it might have been. There's some good open door content after all the teasing and I like where things end up with them.

Here's where I landed, I suppose. I'm disappointed. I wouldn't necessarily say no to reading more by the author because of the better elements that eventually showed themselves, but I'd be wary. It's a classic case of "you tried," and I want to honor the trying, but that doesn't stop me from looking at the issues with open eyes. Thanks to Berkley for my copy to read and review!

I enjoyed this book but got annoyed with how often the dyslexia thing came up. As a parent of a neurodivergent kid I know that my daughter's challenges are not her only personality trait and that's how Sam was written (or so if felt). While I found this irritating, ultimately I would definitely pick up another book by this author.

This one was a total beach read in the best possible way, and y'all know I love books about books. The main character, a chef with dyslexia who does not love reading, falling for a hot, charming librarian? Yes, please. It's sweet and a little spicy, and the whole thing is just emotionally satisfying without veering into saccharine.

There are definitely some rom-comy shenanigans, but it’s grounded by the characters’ growth and the way it handles neurodiversity with care. Is it a little predictable? Sure. Did I care? Absolutely not. It’s called Summer Reading for a reason. Perfect if you're looking for something light, but with a little meat on its bones.

Got 26% into it and am calling it quits. It’s not grabbing me and I feel quite bored. I'm not connecting with the story and am not loving the writing. Just not a fit for me.

Samantha is on Martha’s Vineyard for the summer, acting as chaperone to her younger, brainiac brother, who wants to spend all of his time at the public library. Sam, who is dyslexic, would rather…not. She’s hoping to get back into the swing of things with her life as a chef, but Bennett, the interim director, gets in the way of things. They start a book club, and Sam ends up learning a lot about herself. I loved the way dyslexia was so lovingly and compassionately portrayed in this book. The chemistry between Sam and Bennett is perfect. A wonderful read! I love how committed Bennett is to getting to know Sam’s learning style and he READS OUT LOUD to her. This book is a stunning reminder that audiobooks absolutely count as reading.

Many thanks to Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley for the advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my feedback.

Such a cute romance. I loved the characters loved their story. The chemistry was cute hot and on pointe. Cannot recommend this book enough.

Thank you netgalley for allowing me to read in exchange for an honest review!

I thought this was a very interesting summer read! It took me a little bit to get behind the main character. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE the representation for dyslexia. However, it seemed like that was majority of Sam’s personality and storyline, then eventually we learn there’s more to her. It was brought up a lot even when it didn’t really need to be, and so it made the story drag just a bit. But as a whole, I did enjoy!

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title. All thoughts and opinions are my own and were in no way influenced by receiving this copy.

DNF 12%

I wanted to try with this book. Especially since it was written from such a kind point of view, the author being diligent about their writing process and taking care of how they handled the topic, and even going as far to make sure the book was printed in a dyslexic font. All that is great.

The writing, however, ruins the whole goodness of what the author was trying to do.

Our main characters tells us more than shows us anything that she does. Just miles of text telling us all this random information about who she is as a character instead of letting her behave and letting the reader discover it on their own.

Also, who tf visits someone else's home and rearranges their kitchen?!? Psycho behavior. Her relationship and how she acts towards her brother is so juvenile you would have absolutely no idea this character is 28 and not 18.

I also think the author should've save their note for the end of the book. Telling us on page 1 the amount of research that you do AND then having your MC spout off all that same information was jarring. Also it reads way over researched. I don't know anyone that goes around touting off the statistics in their head for the number of individuals that suffer from their same condition. It was weird and pulled me out of the story and made it suddenly feel like I wasn't reading a fiction novel but instead a nonfiction think piece on dyslexia.

It was just not enjoyable to read and while I am on a quest to only read books I enjoy, I did not enjoy this.

Oh this is so silly.

It’s not that deep, but it does revolve around a pretty real and serious topic. Being a person with neurodivergence, this was not an inaccurate or offensive portrayal, but was intensely over exaggerated. I personally have been made fun of, I have not been repeatedly ghosted by the men I’m dating.

So yeah, the FMC having dyslexia and adhd is really pretty much the only plot so I definitely understand the reviews that say people couldn’t push through the cringe. That said, cheesy romance is a vibe and sometimes that’s just what you need. I personally found this pretty easy and a great book to zone out to. No thought required, just easy romance and that worked for me

When I reviewed Love at First Book I noticed it was listed as book 2 in the Summer Reading series. I couldn't figure out how it was a sequel but I realized I had Summer Reading in my pile of books so I pulled it out.

Love at First Book isn't really a sequel. The main character of that book appears in Summer Reading as Samantha's best friend. So it is totally fine to read the books out of order.

I actually liked Summer Reading better.

On my bucket list is a visit to the New England coast. Nantucket is on top of the list and I prefer books set there, but I've enjoyed a few Cape Cod set stories so it was time to read a story set in Martha's Vineyard. I didn't fall in love with the place while reading this book, but if you like summers on the coast then this book is a pretty good one.

I really liked the characters. I struggled a little with Sam in the beginning because she seemed to find her identity in her dyslexia and very much let it define her and what she thought she could and could not do. I think that is partly because it took so long to diagnose and she didn't get professional help with devising strategies. I have a friend who is dyslexic and she earned a Ph.D. and was super organized - kind of the opposite of Sam. But once she stopped saying "I can't do that because I'm dyslexic" all the time I started to like her more.

Ben is great and very sweet. You will be rooting for him and Sam from the start. Surprisingly, one of my favorite characters was Sam's younger brother. I thought McKinlay did a great job creating this teenage character.

The storyline is predictable. There is the meet-cute, the shy, awkward getting-to-know-you phase, the obstacle that drives them apart, and then the reunion. But I don't mind predictability in a fluffy beach read - it's comforting in some ways knowing where the story is going.

Whether you have a late winter vacation planned or are just tired of winter and ready to dive into beach reads, if you haven't picked up this book yet it should be on your list.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Saturday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2025/01/catching-up-on-novels-i-missed.html

I really enjoy Jenn's writing and I was excited when she came out with a romance that sounded perfect for summer beach reading. I thought I would enjoy this one but I had too many issues connecting with the FMC. I appreciated the dyslexia rep but she was such a complainer about everything that I thought that took away from the overall story. This story may be great for others but for me it fell short in too many ways for me to enjoy it overall.

While I love Jenn McKinlay, this one just didn't work for me. The dyslexia take was jarring, and very hard to work around. The main character felt very difficult to feel anything for. She whined. She whined a lot. She was concerned so much about her dyslexia, that I really felt it was overexaggerated to a point that it made it difficult to get through the book.

So there was a lot that I liked about this story and then there were some issues! I really appreciated the the sister/brother relationship! That as a whole was fantastic! It had so many different element woven into it that I enjoyed! The romance was sweet and I appreciated the flip of the switch with him being the booklover and librarian! A nice change of pace. I did appreciate the easter egg of them reading McKinlay's other book! What a fun call out!!

What I did not appreciate was the third act break which was ridiculous... it literally happened with 10% of the book left... Like cmon!! I also didn't like that some things seemed to be a big point but were hand waved away! Sam's cookbook and the promotion that she was passed over for! And Sam's entire relationship with Em was suddenly gone after we knew she was going to be okay !!

Excellent! I will always pick up Jenn McKinlay's books! Dyslexia is a key subject and the MMC is a librarian, what's not to love? Good "Summer Reading"!

this was a fun summer read. i love and will ALWAYS devour books that have bookish characters (i especially loved how in this particular romance HE was the bookish one, its always the FMC whos the bookish one but this was a cute twist.) The east coast summer vibes were really hitting. i feel like summery east coast books are always set in nantucket or main but martha's vineyard was a cute choice.

what i liked:
- the bookishness of it all
- the setting
- how the fmc was a chef
- the brother/sister relationship
- ben was such a little cinnamon roll hero

overall, i think this would be a great book to add to your summer reading list

Actual rating 2.5

I was really excited for this one. The premise sounded fun and promising. I loved that the FMC was neurodivergent (dyslexia). I also love that the author decided to format the book with dyslexia-friendly font, spacing, and margins. This was such a nice touch to making her book more inclusive. I wish all authors would do that, especially with books that have 2 size fonts. I'm someone who deals with a neurological disorder (epilepsy), so formatting makes a huge difference in my books.

I really wanted to love this book, but it just fell flat and very lackluster. The characters didn't feel well rounded. They're personality revolved around that one thing that defined them (Sam's dyslexia and Ben being a bookworm). I did enjoy how Sam and Ben connected, but the romance wasn't swoonworthy. I felt it was cute, but lacked chemistry. It kind of felt like they were friends more than an actual couple. It just didn't do it for me.

Overall, this was a cute summer read that I would still recommend.

Summer Reading was one of those books that I was so happy to finally read. Samantha Gale has dyslexia and has struggled all her life to be successful. She is a chef that recently lost her job and she is at the family cottage on Martha’s Vineyard trying to resurrect her career, whole supervising her half-brother for the summer. While there she meets Bennett Reynolds, a man who is trying to find his father. He’s taken a temporary job on the island, managing the library and the summer program, while trying to research the summer his mother spent there when she got pregnant with him. Niehter Ben or Sam are looking for a relationship, but when Sam knocks his book into the ocean, they are both attracted to one another. Ben finds out about Sam’s dyslexia, he encourages her to author that cookbook she has always wanted to write, and a relationship develops.

This is a rom com that pulled me in from the first page until I closed the book with a sigh and a smile. I liked the balance of romance, mystery, drama and family. I liked the realistic way that Jenn McKinlay portrays Sam and her dyslexia. It often causes low self-esteem, poor school performance and effects the way people look at you. Although there were some roadblocks along the way, I enjoyed this slow building relationship. There were some funny situations and great dialogue. I haven’t read Jenn McKinlay for a long time, but I will be checking out her backlist. This was a delightful HEA story that I enjoyed.

i had a hard time connecting with the romance, but the overall concept of this book was very fun. would be good to recommend for those looking for easy summer romances

I liked everything about this one. The setting. The characters. The hot librarian. The brother/sister relationship. The friendship between the main character and her friend. The cooking.

I also loved the representation, and the fact that the book was published in a Dyslexic friendly font. Well done.

I thought this book dragged a lot and I got bored and wanted to move on. I thought the romance was too slow and it overall felt negative.